


Stabilizing Force

by KMFiredancer



Series: Stabilizing Force [2]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Colemance, Established Relationship, F/M, Masturbation, Rating May Change, Sexual Content, Spirits, Stress Relief
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-10 22:24:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4410041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KMFiredancer/pseuds/KMFiredancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over a year and a half after the defeat of Corypheus, Era is still struggling with the stress of maintaining order and helping people in need. The Inquisition petitions the Empress to help Ferelden, but no one has heard from King Alistair since before the Breach was sealed. Will their ideas to help Ferelden go as planned, or does King Alistair's silence indicate trouble within?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Acquiescent

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This is the main fic of this series, and I'm hoping my ideas will work as I want them to. It continues from my first story found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4327458
> 
> This story is a work in progress, so tags and ratings may change as necessary!

Cole woke in the middle of night to find part of her s shared bed empty, part of the blanket haphazardly tossed over him. He blinked his bleary eyes, looking to the desk where he found the Inquisitor; a lithe, Dalish woman with hair the colour of the untouched snow covering the Frostbacks treacherous peaks. Her head was cradled in her hands, bangs pushed up by thin fingers and revealing the bright vallaslin on her forehead. "Era?" He called with his tired voice, silver eyes watching her curiously. The elf's deep blue orbs shot up to look at him, and an unsure smile crept across her face as she gave a nervous chuckle.  
  
"Oh, Cole." She said breathlessly. "Did I wake you again?" The once spirit smiled at her worry, sitting up and brushing his hair from his eyes.  
  
"Don't worry, I woke up on my own." He answered, hoping to reassure the worried woman, but he could feel the worry seeping from her mind still. "Era, what's wrong? Worry is fixed, fretting, festering in your mind. It'll tangle if you keep it hidden." The elf inhaled sharply, leaning back in her chair before letting the breath out in a heavy sigh as she fixed her bangs to cover the dark, delicate lines decorating her forehead.  
  
"I need to fix it." She answered, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. "It's been over a year since I defeated Corypheus, and the world still needs so much help, so much work, and I don't know where to start with it all." Era lamented, eyes tired and sad from her overwhelming desire to help.

As a spirit, helping had been the most important thing to Cole, and while it was still important, when he grew he found there were more things to occupy his interest and soon the Inquisitor became the most important thing to him; the fact that she was dedicated to helping and protecting was definitely an enjoyable side benefit.   
  
Cole loved her. He loved the smile in her eyes when she made others happy or was surrounded by friends, the way she delighted in bringing joy to those around her and her frustration at court intrigue. Cole still loved to help people, but helping Era from her side helped her to help others and that was enough for him.  
  
Lately, however, the once spirit found himself worrying about Era more than before. He often found her awake in the middle of the night, quill in hand and delicate little fingers stained with ink with the same worried expression on her face as she agonized over some plan or letter to some official. "Fix what?" The spirit asked, and Era gave a dismayed sigh.  
  
"Everything. There's those refugees unable to return home from the Hinterlands, Crestwood is struggling to keep supplied after the undead, we have bodies to find and burn in Dirthavaren..." Another sigh left Era’s lips as she read over the list that sat on her desk. "Emprise du Lion needs help removing the Red Lyrium, Sahrnia still isn't doing well with construction, the Fallow Mire needs to be thoroughly cleansed, refugees from Ferelden are still stuck in the Kirkwall slums, there's even more dark spawn on the Storm Coast, plus a dragon..." The list continued; out of all Thedas, it seemed Ferelden, Kirkwall and southern Orlais needed the most help, but Era didn't have the power to do it all at once.

She wondered if she could convince Ferelden and Orlais to contribute to help each other with their new treaty in place. Thanks to her alliance with Starkhaven, Kirkwall received aid through the Inquisition and Prince Vael and Varric had since returned, with resources from the Inquisition, to aid in the reconstruction. "There's refugees all over the place, I heard of a few groups of mages lost contact and might not be aware that they can come out of hiding, Dalish clans need to be told that their mages are safe..."  
  
"Come back to bed." Cole called with a gentle voice. "You need rest, you can't fix it if you're tired." Era looked to him and found herself smiling. With a nod, she set down her quill and stood from the desk, lying on her side next to the blond she had found herself so suddenly taken with not long before she fought Corypheus.

While Cole remained the same in many aspects, he had changed quite a bit over the last year and a half; most of his sentences were whole like his thoughts, and while he still had his odd way of speaking a person's mind, he knew when he needed to focus on normal speech. He'd also gained weight as he began taking on more human habits, Era going to great pains to convince him to _just eat something_ once his human body suddenly realized he was starving. Since then, he had grown to enjoy food and drink and his face was less hollow and more flushed with life.

Era smiled as she brushed the soft blond hair from Cole's face once he'd settled back beside her. "I love you." he whispered as he took her hand, weaving his long fingers between hers and giving a gentle squeeze. "We will come up with a way to help, you don't need to worry so much." Era's smile widened and she buried her head in the warmth of his chest with a gentle sigh.   
  
"I know. I love you too.” She replied quietly and Cole chuckled, gently wrapping his arms around the slender woman, kissing the top of her head and watching over her until her heard the gentle breathing of her sleep.   
  
"You saved them. The world doesn't mind waiting." He whispered, though he knew she couldn't hear and soon after Cole drifted back to sleep himself.

 


	2. A Little Help

“Josephine.” Cole called as he entered the antechamber. The Antivan ambassador looked up at Cole curiously, greeting him with her usual pleasant smile and resting her quill.

“Good morning, Cole.” She said happily. “Do you need something?” The blond nodded, walking toward Josephine’s desk.

“Yes. Do you know if we can get Orlais and Ferelden to work together?” He paused briefly. “To rebuild, I mean. Era’s been up writing letters and plans and she worries…” Josephine’s smile fell and she looked pensive.

“Well, they did just forge a new treatise. Perhaps we could call on the Empress to offer Ferelden aid as a show of good intention?” She suggested. “We can start by asking the Empress to send scholars to study the plague that overtook the Fallow Mire or to help identify the remains in Old Crestwood. Perhaps we may also request workers to rebuild these areas as well as Redcliffe and other areas ravaged by demons?” Cole nodded.

“Can you start writing a letter? Era is weighted with worry, maybe it will lift her.” Josephine smiled.

“Of course, Cole.” She said, pausing. “A question before you leave, if you may?” He nodded again, looking at the ambassador curiously.

“What is it?”

“I find you refer to the Inquisitor by her honorific less and less lately. Why is that?” She asked and a blush rose to Cole’s cheeks.

“I…” He had no answer. Era had kept their relationship a secret due to his hard to describe nature, thus he had not been prepared for the question. His lack of a proper answer seemed to tell Josephine more than she needed to know and a smile crossed her face.

“I _see_.” She said knowingly and Cole found himself practically running from the antechamber.

* * *

 

When Cole returned to the room he and Era secretly shared, he found the Inquisitor once again hunched over a pile of work at her desk, still in her dressing robes. “Have you eaten?” He asked. The elven woman looked up at him in surprise, looking pensive. Cole folded his arms over his chest, silently demanding an answer.

“…No, I haven’t. Why?” She asked. The once spirit frowned.

“You promised you wouldn’t work without breakfast.” He gestured to the stairs and Era sighed, resting her quill.

“Ir abelas. You are right, of course.” She stood, finding clothes in her wardrobe before ducking in one of her alcoves to change. “Where were you? You weren’t here when I woke up.” She asked, following Cole to the kitchens.

“I was talking to Josephine.” He answered, smiling faintly. “I asked her if there was a way to help you solve problems in Ferelden. She had an idea.”

“Oh? What was it?”

“She suggested writing to the Empress to request aid for Ferelden. She said it might help them.” Era nodded slowly.

“Of course. Even with the new treatise in effect, relations between Orlais and Ferelden are still tense. Perhaps Empress Celene extending an olive branch will encourage King Alistair to soften up a bit.” She said with a shrug. “I can only hope. What aid will Josephine request?”

“Josephine suggested scholars for studying the plague and identifying bodies in Crestwood as well as workers for rebuilding. I think that would be good.” Era nodded again with a smile.

“You asked because I was up last night, didn’t you?” Cole smiled bashfully as they crossed into the kitchen.

“Maybe.” She laughed, planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, vhenan. I’m lucky that you thought to act when I was frozen by my own fear.” The blond flushed, a smile on his face.

“I only took the first step because you didn’t know what the first step was. It’ll be easier now.” Era smiled, grabbing a few muffins from a plate and offering one to Cole.

“For now, it depends on what the Empress says.” She replied, searching the kitchen for some fruit before finding a secluded place on the battlements for them to enjoy their meal.


	3. Letters Over Breakfast

Era yawned as she sat at her desk, a pile of unread letters in front of her. “You haven’t eaten again.” Cole said accusingly as he climbed to the top of the stairs, a tray of breakfast in his hands. Iana, one of Era’s chambermaids followed behind him with another tray holding tea and a pair of cups with saucers of milk, cream and sugar.

“Ah, sorry.” The Inquisitor laughed, clearing a spot on her messy desk for the pair to rest their trays. “I saw a few letters and I really wanted to read them.” She smiled to the elven servant with greying-blonde hair. “Good morning, Iana. Thank you for helping Cole. Are you here for the linens?” The older chambermaid nodded with a smile.

“Yes, Worship. May I?” Era nodded.

“Of course. If it over burdens you, don’t hesitate to ask us for help.” The Inquisitor said, taking the cups and teapot from one of the trays and pouring tea for herself and Cole. Iana laughed quietly as she set to work removing the sheets from Era’s bed.

“My Lady, I’m not so old that removing sheets troubles me. I will be fine.” She replied, happy for the offer. “Avaea will be along with fresh linens.” She said, bowing before leaving the pair alone with their breakfast. Era rose, pulling a second chair to the side of her desk for Cole before returning to her seat.

“You’re kind to the servants. They like you.” Cole said happily, looking to the letters sitting atop Era’s desk. “Who are they from?”

“I don’t know yet, I haven’t opened them.” Era answered with a quiet laugh. “I think one is from Varric.” A brunette elf quietly entered the room as she spoke, carrying an armful of clean sheets and blankets. “Good morning, Avaea.” Era called, startling the brunette woman.

“G-good morning, Worship. Ah, and Ser Cole.” Avaea answered, replacing Era’s sheets. She cast a glance at the pair as they started their meal, giggling before disappearing down the stairs.

“She thinks we’re cute.” Cole said, biting into a bit of bread.

“I gathered, vhenan.” Era answered, opening the letter she thought to be from Varric as she sipped some tea. “I was right, it’s form Varric. Want me to read it out loud?”

“Yes.” Cole answered.

 _Dear Red,_  
  
_Things are going great in Kirkwall thanks to the men, supplies and money you sent here with me- the people here are picking up the pieces Blondie's big idea left, slowly. Only problem is there's a lot of Ferelden refugees still in the slums here. Most of them just want to go home, after everything. King Alistair has been oddly quiet on that front. Do you think you could meet with him to arrange something? I hate to ask but I imagine he wants some of his people back anyway._  
  
_How are you and the Kid doing? You guys really know how to make a dwarf feel guilty for going home, you know. I miss his damned knock-knock jokes. I keep expecting someone to finish one with some shit like "the orange couldn't knock because it has no hands"._

 _Did you guys ever tell the public about being an item? I guess "my lover was a demon" doesn't exactly give a good impression... But I'm sure Divine Nightingale would just shiv anyone who said anything, right? Still scary to think about Leliana as Divine Victoria, but I can't argue that she's done anything other than good._  
  
_Once repairs advance a bit more, I might come back and visit- I'm sure you miss my luxurious chest hair, after all. It really kicks my ass how much I miss you kids sometimes._  
  
_Anyway, I'll let you get back to work- I'm sure you don't need to hear an old dwarf whine. Let me know about the refugees if you can and see if you can get the Kid to write a letter too. If you can convince King Alistair to actually help his people I’d owe you more than a few drinks._  
  
_Signed,_  
  
_V. Tethras_  
  
Era felt herself grinning as she read the letter, despite her worry over the refugees and King Alistair. "He misses us." Cole said with an amused chuckle and Era nodded. "What should I write to him?"  
  
"Anything you want, vhenan." She answered with a shrug. "A letter doesn't need to be formal or have a point, just let him know how you are and what's been happening... You could always try sending him knock knock jokes via messenger bird." The Dalish woman joked, drawing another chuckle from Cole.   
  
"He might like that." Era nodded.  
  
"Cullen might be a wee bit upset with us wasting resources for jokes," She said, a lop sided smirk tugging the corner of her lips. "But he doesn't need to know, right?" The elf paused thoughtfully and Cole regarded her with curious eyes.   
  
"What are you thinking about?" He asked and Era smiled again.   
  
"It's nothing." another pause. "Maybe. I did some research after hearing about your time at the White Spire in Val Royeaux. I wondered if there could be other spirits like you, drawn to a person through the Fade and then anchored here by something." To Era, the air suddenly felt thick as she took a breath. "I want to look into reports I've had of ghost-like creatures, like you were before. It's likely they were spirits, too. I... Had thought to send for spirit mediums, as many as possible, but that involves asking Rhys to come from Val Firmin."

Cole froze like a deer in front of a speeding wagon, eyes wide with surprise and fear. Before the once spirit could speak, Era let out a sigh. "If there's other spirits like you were, I want to help them either change or return to the Fade, whatever they need. It may also help people in the area that fear them." Cole nodded slowly, swallowing and looking as though he had eaten something unpleasant.   
  
"I... Understand," He answered slowly. "Rhys doesn't seem to be angry, not anymore," Cole's hands opened and closed the way they did when he was anxious. "But he still thinks I made him kill the mages in the Spire. I didn't, I couldn't, I- I'm not that." Era stood from her desk, wrapping her arms around the blond with a smile.  
  
"I know. It will be fine, vhenan... And if it's not, I'll make it better if I can." Cole nodded.

“What’s this one?” The blond tapped on an official looking letter in an ornate envelope.

“I’m not sure.” Era replied, picking the letter up and carefully tearing the envelope open, taking out a similarly ornate sheet of paper decorated with a lovely, flowing script. “Well, it’s definitely Orlesian.” She joked, sitting back at her desk and reading over the letter.

_To Her Worship, Inquisitor Lavellan,_

_We were only too happy to hear from your ambassador. Her idea to help relations between Orlais and Ferelden is not a bad one; we have experienced difficulties in our relations with King Alistair and would be delighted to take the first step in proving our dedication to peace between our nations._

_To show our dedication to this cause, we offer fifty scholars personally selected for their performance in medical fields and two dozen of our finest architects and workers. As always, you have the aid of our chevaliers and soldiers. We humbly request that the Inquisition provide mages for this venture._

_We also request that after we have supported Ferelden in its recovery that the Inquisition extend the same offer to Orlais and help areas scarred by the wars. We owe the Inquisition a great debt but we cannot close our wounds without aid._

_Devotedly,_

_Celene Valmont I, Empress of Orlais_

“Oh! This is good news.” Era said, setting the letter down. “The Empress has agreed to lend us workers, scholars and her continued military support. She only asks that we help her, which I already intended.”

“But you look troubled.” Cole said, seeing a knot forming between Era’s brows.

“I am. Both the Empress and Varric have said that King Alistair has been strangely quiet, and indeed we haven’t heard from him since he thanked us for removing the Venatori threat from Denerim.” She answered, scratching her head. “I can understand him ignoring Varric, but Empress Celene is too important to ignore. Didn’t Josephine reach out to him a while ago?” Cole nodded.

“She asked for an estimation of what repairs would cost in Ferelden. He didn’t answer.” Era sighed in response.

“I remember now. Hopefully he won’t mind a bunch of Orlesians in his country…” Cole shrugged.

“I don’t see why he would. We want to help, not hurt.” The Inquisitor smiled and shrugged.

“I guess we’ll see. It can’t go too badly seeing as we camped in Haven for months before he noticed.”


	4. Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole reminds Era to stop working and just take a breath.

Era sighed, a hand on her temple as she leafed through a growing pile of papers that sat across her desk. Over the last few days requests had poured in from across Thedas. Requests for aid, judgment over disputes and formal opinions sat unsorted before her. Her blond partner was missing, having disappeared after making sure she ate something that morning and she found her mind wandering more than working.

Despite having only woken up two hours before, Era already felt exhausted. Her eyes drifted distractedly from the pages to her bed or wandered into fleeting fantasies of romantic moments that could only be stolen between the constant flow of work and travel.

The beginnings of a headache started between Era’s brow and the deeper she buried herself in work the more it seemed to pain her coming in dull aches that forced her to stop. The stress that built within her made her heart flutter and skip beats as a panic sat in her chest.

Era was startled by the clacking sound of a vase being set next to her desk, panic rising further in her chest. She looked up to see Cole just as he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from the desk as though she weighed nothing at all. “What? What?” She cried in surprise. The blond chuckled, shifting to hold her like a bride and sitting on the edge of their bed.

“Breathe, Era.” He whispered, holding a head of white hair to his chest with gentle hands. “Panic pains, pulls and pesters until you can’t think, can’t breathe. You can’t let it hold you.” Era took deep breaths, small hands holding the soft fabric of his tunic like a frightened child holding their mother’s skirts. “I found some flowers, the ones your father used to put in your trunk to make your clothes smell nice.” He said, releasing Era’s braid from its clasp and delicately running his fingers through it. “They only bloom because you stopped Corypheus, so they didn’t mind helping.”

Era laughed a quiet yet bubbly laugh, bringing a satisfied smile to the once spirit’s lips. He shifted, sitting the snow haired elf upright in his lap as his fingers deftly untangled knots in her hair. “No more work today.” He gently commanded, resting a hand on Era’s cheek and looking into her deep blue eyes. “You’re like a candle, a bright light in a dark room, but if you burn too bright you’ll go out and the room will be dark again.” She nodded, leaning her head into Cole’s hand gently.

Their lips met in a gentle embrace, reminding Era just how much she missed their intimacy even over the last few days. Her small arms rested gently around Cole’s neck and his large hands moved to sit on her waist. For the first time in days, everything in the Inquisitor’s mind felt quiet. Her heart now fluttered with butterflies that carried warmth through the rest of her body and brought a shiver to her spine.

Era shifted, setting her legs on either side of Cole’s and pulled herself forward, bringing herself flush to his chest. One of her hands found its way into his thick hair, fingers combing through soft locks before resting on the back of his head. Their breath met in heated, heavy puffs. Cole squirmed beneath Era before he broke the kiss, face reddened and his eyes dark and glossy.

“What’s wrong?” Era asked breathlessly, her nervous fingers running through her hair.

“I-I can’t.” Cole stammered, looking away from his partner bashfully. “I-it’s too much.” Her brows knit together in a mixture of confusion and concern, but as she felt the source of his discomfort beneath her, she smiled and moved to sit beside Cole on the bed.

“What’s too much?” She asked, resting a hand on his.

“ _That_.” Cole said, refusing to look at Era in his embarrassment. “You want to, but it hurt you! Threads twist, tangle and knot together. If you pull the wrong one, they tighten into a ball and you can’t untangle them again. I-I can’t.” His words flowed in frantic mumbles and Cole looked as though a sudden movement would scare him away like a wild halla.

“Vhenan, it’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” She tried to assure. The pair both turned to look as they heard the distinct sound of footsteps before Josephine appeared at the top of the stairs, clipboard in hand.

“Good day, Inquisitor-” The ambassador started, but the moment she spoke, Cole fled past her down the stairs. “What in Andraste?” Flustered, Era buried her head in her hands.

“Fenedhis!”


	5. Steam and Marble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating has changed! Please be aware of sexual content.
> 
> I've never posted anything really sexual before so I'm fairly nervous about this, but hopefully it works out. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

“Inquisitor?” Josephine said gently, and Era gave her a nervous smile.

“Good afternoon, Josephine. Is something wrong?” She asked and Josephine shook her head.

“No. In fact, I have good news.” The Antivan woman said, coming to stand just inches from Era’s desk.  The Inquisitor cocked her head, eyes alight with curiosity.

“What is it?” Josephine’s face said she was practically bouncing with excitement, though her refined nature kept her still and poised as always.

“You remember when you made the request for a marble bath?” She asked and slowly, Era nodded.

“Of course. I was joking at the time, but I remember. Why?” The ambassador’s brows furrowed and her smile fell slightly, but she shook her head and continued.

“Stonemason Gatsi found a way to fulfill the request. His team just finished the last of the work and Dagna managed to replicate the enchantments used to fill objects with fresh water. Skyhold now has a proper bathing facility!” She said happily. Era smiled briefly, though her expression slowly changed to confusion.

“How did you manage such a thing without me noticing? Surely construction would have been noisy.” She paused. “Wait, how big is it? Can anyone use it?” Josephine laughed.

“It is a simple enough task to ask a mage to cast a spell that would cause anyone not working down there to ignore the area. The baths are built so that they are mainly communal, but there are a few more private facilities for visiting dignitaries that would feel uncomfortable sharing a bath.” The ambassador said with a smile. “I thought it would be a pleasant surprise given that Ser Cole said you have been rather stressed recently.” Era nodded thoughtfully.

“That’s wonderful news Josephine, thank you.” She said softly, running her fingers through her loose hair as she took a few moments to think. “Would you mind if I used them before they’re opened? I could use a quiet bath.” Josephine giggled quietly.

“Of course. You can find the entrance to the baths near the old library in the basement.” She said happily, giving Era a polite curtsey before taking her leave.

Era sat in silence for a few moments before gathering her small assortment of bath soaps and oils, placing them in a small pouch before making her way through Skyhold’s basement. As Josephine said, she found the entrance not far from the old library and climbed down the newly-built stairs.  

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was met with a stone brick room with a large, empty marble pool in the centre. At the back of the room there were several small chambers, likely the private baths Josephine had mentioned. As she approached the empty pool, it filled with crystal clear water as if sensing her intent.

Era tested the water with a bare toe, feeling the coolness of the water. “Regardless of what one might think, I feel rather blessed to be a mage.” She said to no one as she filled the pool with her soaps and oils, channeling her mana and manipulating the water until the bubbles were big and frothy and steam filled the room. She disrobed, stepping into the deepest parts of the water before kneeling and reveling in the warmth. Era heaved a sigh, leaning against the marble wall as she remembered Cole’s scent and the way his lips felt. The wet heat between her legs sorely reminded her of how much she missed sex.

It wasn’t only the gratification she missed but the intimacy she felt in surrendering herself completely to someone else. She loved Cole so completely that she wanted to give that to him, but she wasn’t sure he would ever be ready for such a thing. Another sigh left Era’s lips as a slender hand slipped between her legs, fingers slipping easily into her slick entrance.

A quiet moan left her lips as her mind raced. She wanted to see Cole, to feel his breath on her skin and his hands on her body.  Era wanted him to see her body, even her scars. She loved him completely and wanted to give all of herself, though she wasn’t sure he would take it. She shuddered as her fingers worked, her face flushed and breath coming in hot huffs and puffs.

She _wanted_ Cole.

* * *

 

“Cole?” Josephine called as she emerged from the antechamber. The spirit froze in the middle of the throne room, hesitantly turning to face the Antivan woman. “Ah, good. Can you make sure the Inquisitor remembered to bring a change of clothes? I would go myself but I’ve other matters to attend.” She said, nodding to an Orlesian noblewoman not far away. “I can’t seem to find her chambermaids, either…”

Cole’s face flushed nervously as he remembered Era before he ran from the room. Flushed with need and desperate for a love he wasn’t sure he could provide. Slowly, he nodded.  

When Cole got to the baths in Skyhold’s basement, he froze at the bottom of the stairs. Era had moaned and her need hit him like a brick wall, stopping him in his tracks. She was thinking about _him._ His name came upon her lips as she shivered and another blush rose to the once spirit’s cheeks. It struck something within him that both made his heart swell and a dark, unfamiliar need settle in the bottom of his stomach.

His name fell from her lips again followed by a quiet mewl and Cole found himself struggling to tear his eyes and mind from the sight. Shaking his head, he brought fort his cloaking ability, setting the clothes beside Era’s pouch of oils before fleeing the room.

“Shit.” He hissed uncomfortably as he reached their shared bedchamber. He sat on the bed, gripping the blanket as an erection strained painfully against his pants. He had felt something similar before, mild stirrings from their kisses or from seeing a needy dream of Era’s, but nothing like this. It _hurt_.

He needed to do something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit awkward since I've never written masturbation before. It comes up suddenly, which is sort of what I wanted but not? I don't know. Hopefully it gets better from here!


End file.
